Clipmarks | prin1's clips

GM Hummer Division to be Sold to Chinese Defense Contractor?

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 01:10:30 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: this kind of practice just scares the crap outta me...

Clip Source: www.economicpopulist.org

GM Hummer Division to be Sold to Chinese Defense Contractor?

The buyer is likely Dongfeng Motor Company, a Chinese defense contractor.

Why, then is any Chinese car company in talks to take over Hummer?

Why is DongFeng likely the buyer?

Because of the Dongeng EQ 2050, which looks like this:

That's right, Dongfeng makes Hummer knock offs. And who's buying these knockoffs?

The People's Liberation Army, aka. the Chinese military.

That's right, GM is likely selling its Humvee division complete with the machines needed to produce the engines and chassis to a company that wants to supply the Chinese military with the model. (And it's not just the Chinese military buying them, Dongfeng has been selling military vehicles to the Sudanese government, where they are used in Darfur.)

Did they seriously think that no one would notice?

Let's Bail Out America's Tattered Safety Net

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:58:10 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Let's Bail Out America's Tattered Safety Net

The safety net is not only tattered; it is nearly obsolete.

But bridge repair and even green jobs are not enough

First, provide federal funding to states to prevent reductions in essential services

Second, recreate our housing infrastructure. In exchange for buying up bad loans, secure foreclosed properties and develop an affordable housing stock.

Third, expand help for families who are struggling to pay for care for children and elders. Doing so will not only help the families struggling to care for their loved ones. It will also provide the job-creation stimulus for women workers that bridge-repair funding will provide for men.

Fourth, replace our outdated and arbitrary poverty measure with a realistic measure of what it takes to afford basic needs and participate fully in society. This measure should be used to gauge whether the eventual economic recovery is reaching all Americans

Dang, Now we have to wait until the public outcry deminishes for our new jet...Boo Hoo

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:11:18 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.minyanville.com

Citigroup (C) says it won't take delivery of a new $50 million corporate jet as previously announced.

Citigroup plans to cut its fleet to 2 planes from 5. The company stressed that no TARP funds would have been used to purchase the French-made Dassault Falcon 7X.

"Citi continually explores ways to reduce all its assets, including aircraft," Hanretta said in a prepared statement. "Citi is exploring all its options for these assets, including the potential sale or lease of the aircraft. It is important to note that TARP funds will not be used for these purchases."

The New York Post, which first reported the story, said today: "Airhead Citigroup execs took their heads out of the clouds today to say they are grounding plans to purchase a new $50 million corporate jet in the wake of a national public outcry."

The Post also quotes White House spokesman Robert Gibbs as saying President Obama "doesn't believe" corporate jets are the "best use of [TARP] money."

Obama getting it wrong on birth control

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:58:03 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.feministe.us

Obama getting it wrong on birth control

Reportedly Barack Obama is “begging” Sen. Henry Waxman to pull contraception funding from the economic stimulus package.

Republicans are bloviating about how the provision, which makes it easier for states to expand Medicaid coverage of contraceptives, is wasteful and somehow subsidizing abortion. House Republican leader John Boehner is leading the charge, asking, “How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives? How does that stimulate the economy?”

Medicaid spending generally isn’t being attacked; it’s contraception spending.

contraception spending saves money in the long run — some $200 million over five years

And of course there’s the abortion issue. Boehner claims that funding contraception is a subsidy for “the abortion industry” — proving again that this isn’t about fiscal responsibility or taxpayer dollars, but about controlling women’s bodies and punishing women for having sex.

An additional amendment has been added to the Bill of Rights.

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:52:59 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: crooksandliars.com

An additional amendment has been added to the Bill of Rights.

It's called The Republican Hissy Fit Exception.

No matter what harm has been caused by the Republican party to our country and applies especially when they have been voted out of office because of that harm, any piece of Democratic legislation being discussed may be attacked with the intent of watering it down or destroying it completely (voided) at any time as long as one conservative in Congress has a hissy fit.

The traditional media must immediately validate their hissy fit by repeating said hissy fit talking points over and over again in print, on the Internets, on radio and on TV as many times as necessary to accomplish said goal of compromising the legislation that the hissy fit is applicable to.

False information is also allowed to be transmitted by the hissy fitter and the media in an effort to implement the Conservative Hissy Fit exception. An alternative name that may be used is the Republican Hissy Fit exception.

The're at it again...blowing through our money for their own comfort

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:36:10 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.nypost.com

Beleaguered Citigroup is upgrading its mile-high club with a brand-new $50 million corporate jet - only this time, it's the taxpayers who are getting screwed.

Even though the bank's stock is as cheap as a gallon of gas and it's burning through a $45 billion taxpayer-funded rescue, the airhead execs pushed through the purchase of a new Dassault Falcon 7X, according to a source familiar with the deal.

The French-made luxury jet seats up to 12 in a plush interior with leather seats, sofas and a customizable entertainment center, according to Dassault's sales literature. It can cruise 5,950 miles before refueling and has a top speed of 559 mph.

A woman answering the phone at CitiFlight's private hangar in White Plains said she was "not authorized to release information" about the new jet.

Dassault's US sales office declined to comment.

Citigroup spokesman Stephen Cohen declined to comment.

There are just nine of these top-of-the-line models in the United States

Did Barack Obama's inauguration really cost 4 times as much as George Bush's 2005 inauguration?

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:55:01 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.factcheck.org

Did Barack Obama's inauguration really cost 4 times as much as George Bush's 2005 inauguration?

Claims of a huge disparity are untrue. Actually, an apples-to-apples comparison shows that the two inaugurations likely cost about the same.

For much of the past week, several right-leaning news sites have compared an estimated $160 million price tag for Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration to a $42 million tally for George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration.

the fun stuff: the inaugural balls, luncheons and Springsteen appearances. That's also the category for things like the 20 JumboTrons placed around the National Mall and the special payment to keep the Smithsonian Institution open for the day. The fun events don't cost taxpayers a dime.

it appears likely that his inauguration will not cost significantly more than Bush's second inauguration, and could conceivably cost less after adjusting for inflation.

Palin's $180,000 wardrobe sitting in "trash bags" at RNC headquarters

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:51:01 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: crooksandliars.com

Despite campaign promise, Palin's $180,000 wardrobe sitting in "trash bags" at RNC headquarters

according to the NewMajority website, the clothes are sitting in trash bags at RNC headquarters in D.C.

But for reasons that remain mysterious, the clothes remain stashed at the RNC's Washington, D.C., headquarters. A source close to the issue told NewMajority that the clothes are "in the process" of being donated, and an RNC spokesman corroborated, saying the clothes have indeed been returned from Palin, "inventoried and will be appropriately dispersed to various charities." Attempts for an explanation of when and where the clothes will be donated went unanswered, and the governor's Alaska office does not comment on campaign issues.

This should really come as no surprise

I just never thought that we would still be hearing stories like this three months after the election

Looks like those RNC lawyers dispatched to Alaska to retrieve Palin's clothes forgot to "donate" them.

Rush Limbaugh passes out his marching orders to the GOP: He wants Obama to fail

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:54:38 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: well this just totally ruined my high from yesterday....

if i could i would let out a string of profanities that would make an old WWII army nurse proud. i say let's don't close gitmo, let's round up all the limbaugh's, coulter's, hannity's et. al. and send them down there to be tortured.

oops, sorry Mr. President, I just can't help myself when it comes to this man and his ilk.

Clip Source: crooksandliars.com

Rush Limbaugh passes out his marching orders to the GOP: He wants Obama to fail

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: crooksandliars.com

Rush Limbaugh is not mincing words and showing the real face of Conservative ideals as he announces that he wants Barack Obama to fail. He is the worldwide voice of Conservatism, so the Republican party has just gotten its marching orders. I dare any Republican to defy him.

What this means, of course, is that he hopes the economy crashes into a full-blown depression. His multimillion-dollar salary is safe, obviously, so to hell with the nation and its economy if the cost of saving the country is being guided by a Democratic President.

There isn't a bigger pig on the air than Limbaugh, and this clip proves the point. He's using race as the wedge (as usual) to try and stir up his base.

Abstinence-Only Clowns?! Your Federal Tax Dollars at Work

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:24:58 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: creeeeeeeepy...

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Abstinence-Only Clowns?! Your Federal Tax Dollars at Work

Meet Derek Dye: He's got a degree from Barnum Bailey Clown College, and an abstinence educator certification that can be purchased for $50.

Thanks to George W. Bush and a complicit Congress, we currently spend $1.5 billion a year to fund abstinence-only until marriage sex education in our public schools. And yes, that money goes to people like Derek Dye, as he is employed by the Elizabeth New Life Center that received a $800,000 CBAE grant in 2007 to promote abstinence until marriage. His qualifications? A "Bachelor of Fun Arts" from Barnum Bailey Clown College, and an abstinence educator certification that can be purchased for $50.

Watch Dye's act here:

[Video]

Pro-Life Group up in Arms over Krispy Kreme's Abortion Doughnuts

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:44:21 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: scroll down and read the comments...worth it, if you need a laugh this morning

Clip Source: blogs.miaminewtimes.com

Pro-Life Group up in Arms over Krispy Kreme's Abortion Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme, being the genial purveyor of glazed goodness that it is, decided to get in on the Obama inauguration craze and is offering one free doughnut to every costumer on January 20, Inauguration day, and released this seemingly innocuous press release

"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (NYSE: KKD) is honoring American's sense of pride and freedom of choice on Inauguration Day, by offering a free doughnut of choice to every customer on this historic day, Jan. 20. By doing so, participating Krispy Kreme stores nationwide are making an oath to tasty goodies -- just another reminder of how oh-so-sweet 'free' can be

Well, The American Life League noticed the liberal use of the word choice and decided to blast the chain bakery for producing abortion doughnuts.

File this under "Overreactionary Wing Nuts"

Anti-Love Drug May Be Ticket to Bliss

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:33:43 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Anti-Love Drug May Be Ticket to Bliss

In the new issue of Nature, the neuroscientist Larry Young offers a grand unified theory of love.

Dr. Young predicts that it won’t be long before an unscrupulous suitor could sneak a pharmaceutical love potion into your drink.

That’s the bad news. The not-so-bad news is that you may enjoy this potion if you took it knowingly with the right person. But the really good news, as I see it, is that we might reverse-engineer an anti-love potion, a vaccine preventing you from making an infatuated ass of yourself. Although this love vaccine isn’t mentioned in Dr. Young’s essay, when I raised the prospect he agreed it could also be in the offing.

This is what humans have sought ever since Odysseus ordered his crew to tie him to the mast while sailing past the Sirens

Love was correctly identified as a potentially fatal chemical imbalance in the medieval tale of Tristan and Isolde, who accidentally consumed a love potion and turned into hopeless addicts.

Blues Songwriter Delaney Bramlett, R.I.P.

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:59:28 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: my heart is broken. many, many of the "greats" credit bramlett with teaching them how to play the blues guitar.

Clip Source: blues.about.com

Blues Songwriter Delaney Bramlett, R.I.P.

Blues singer, songwriter, and bandleader Delaney Bramlett died at the age of 69 on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 of complications from gall bladder surgery. Born in Mississippi and later immigrating to Los Angeles, Bramlett is best known as the bandleader of the early-1970s rock n' soul outfit Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, formed with his wife Bonnie, a former back-up singer for Albert King and Ike and Tina Turner. The "Friends" included musicians like guitarist Eric Clapton in the line-up.

Delaney & Bonnie recorded six albums together between 1969 and 1972, before the pair divorced and embarked on solo careers. Bramlett kept a low profile during the ensuing years, recording sporadically but making a name for himself as a songwriter. Bramlett co-wrote the timeless "Let It Rain" with Clapton, and "Superstar" with Leon Russell, which was a hit for the Carpenters and was recently covered by Sonic Youth for the film Juno.

don't you wish three months of your time was worth this

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:17:17 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: videocafe.crooksandliars.com

Former Merrill Lynch Exec takes bailout money to buy palatial digs

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: videocafe.crooksandliars.com

Peter Kraus worked hard in the three months he spent at Merrill Lynch this fall — and the $25 million in bonus cash he earned for his troubles was just enough to allow him to afford to buy Carl and Barbaralee Spielvogel's apartment at 720 Park for $36.63 million, twice what they paid for it two years ago.

Amazon.com Recommendations Understand Area Woman Better Than Husband

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:55:04 GMT

clipped by: prin1

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

Amazon.com Recommendations Understand Area Woman Better Than Husband

Area resident Pamela Meyers was delighted to receive yet another thoughtful CD recommendation from Amazon.com Friday, confirming that the online retail giant has a more thorough, individualized, and nuanced understanding of Meyers' taste than the man who occasionally claims to love her, husband Dean Meyers.

To come home from a long day at work and see the message about the new Norah Jones album waiting for me, it just made my week

Amazon, which has been tracking Meyers' purchases since she first used the site to order Football For Dummies in preparation for attending the 2004 Citrus Bowl as part of her husband's 10th wedding anniversary plans

Meyers, who has spent the past 15 years with a man who still believes she enjoys attending car shows, said she has kept her Amazon recommendation e-mails a secret from her husband so as not to corrupt the "deep and unstated understanding" between her and the popular website.